1821 Aug. 12

Rid Yourselves

Protected form the importation of innovation protected even from that

foolish and unmeaning note of censure from the duet between knavery and folly is this

operation by a succession of laws and conventions which may be seen all together in

the volume which I have before me of the laws of those United States, published in

five 8 o. Volumes A o 1815 by authority of

Congress. In the Index pages, under the general head of cessions of Lands I find

Cessions

1. from the State of New York A o 1780 p. 467

2. from the State of Virginia p. 472 A o 1784

3. from the State of Massachusetts A o 1785 p. 482

4. from the State of Connecticut A o 1786 p. 484

5. from the State of South Carolina A o 1787 p.

486.

6. Articles of agreement and cession of land or territory between the

United States and the State of Georgia A o 1802 p. 488.

Of these cessions some were made in favour of the inhaitants of the

relinquished territory, and of these alone: made to them to the end that to their

further happiness they might be formed into so many separate members of the Union:

into so many otherwise /in every other respect/ independent States.

Others were made in favour of the entire Union made to that body to

the end in the expected accesion to the stock of public felicity /happiness/ the

several members of the Union might each of them have its share.

In no one instance does there appear any reason for the supposition that by any one

of the men by whose suffrages the relinquishment /transfer/ was made any the smallest

particle of benefit was ever received or expected other than that in which either the

new formed [...?] State or all the citizens of the Union were alike sharers.